Swings
by Justice333
Summary: Everyone wants to make an escape. To leave the world's problems behind and take flight. It's a hard process and usually requires a lot of wishing and dreaming. But when you have another person to share the ride with, the effort disappears leaving you free to just...swing. SoKai AU


S**w****I**_n__G_**s**

Do you ever get that nostalgic feeling when you enter a place? A place that reminds you of a special event in your life, the most exhilarating moments from your childhood?

Well, for me, that place is Chrysanthemum Park. It's located in a very quiet neighborhood and quite petite, for its main audience.

The monkey bars were always a challenge for me. My friend Riku liked to brag about how he could complete the course in five seconds flat. I, of course, always disagreed with him. My stubborn disposition caused me to lose a lot of bets concerning those darn bars.

And then there were the humungous, convoluted slides. I used to be scared of them until I forced myself to go down one on a dare (I know. Gullible is my middle name). It was definitely an educational experience. I learned that the slides were one of the most overrated, boring things to exist on that little world we refer to as a park.

As I grew older, many of the park's splendors began to deteriorate before my eyes. The brightly painted monkey bars were covered with rust and for some reason going down the slide didn't feel as smooth as it once did when one was five.

But if there is anything that still withstood the test of time in this poor little park from my childhood, it's the swings.

Now, the swings are the most special because no matter how old we get in this life, we can always appreciate the beauty of the swing. It takes us to a place like no other. Suddenly, a simple swinging motion becomes the closest thing we humans get to flying.

How special indeed.

Well, now I'm sure you're wondering why I'm sitting here rambling on about parks and swings. Well, let's just say that something very interesting happened to me at this park. And can you guess where this event mainly takes place?

You guessed right. The swings (kind of obvious, don't you think?).

My little experience took place about two years ago. It was a very sunny day in the latter half of July. I was fifteen.

I'd come to the park to meet up with my best friend, Riku (you know, the boasting buffoon I mentioned earlier). We were supposed to play basketball together.

I was about to call Riku on my cell when I noticed someone on the swings.

It was a somewhat small girl, with shoulder length auburn hair and piercing violet eyes. Her attire was very light with blue shorts and an orange tank top. She was sitting on the swings, a dejected expression turning her pink lips up in a pout.

Now, for some reason I can't stand it when other people are sad. I don't like calling myself optimistic, but I do believe in the notion of living one's life to the fullest. Plus, since I was voted best peacemaker in middle school I felt like I could help her out.

So, I went towards the girl, walking through the intricate little sand hills.

Once I was within two feet from her, she opened her eyes.

I smiled at my new patient before sitting on an adjacent swing. "Hey there."

She smiled slowly, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Uh, hey…"

My smile grew, my teeth forcing my mouth upward in what my friends liked to call the 'bi-protractor'.

"What's a lovely lady like you doing crying out here?"

The girl smirked. "Please, I wasn't crying. I was just…contemplating life."

I sighed, sending my legs upward. It Looked like I would have to pry it out of her.

"Seriously, what's wrong?"

She giggled. "Why should I tell you? I don't even know your name."

Hmmm, stubborn much? Well, she did have a point there. I backtracked quickly.

"I'm Sora. Doctor extraordinaire, master of small talk, leader of counsel—"

"I don't need a counselor…"

I stopped talking and gave her a fake evil glare. "Well, excuse me! I wasn't finished talking yet!"

She gave me another one of those facetious smiles. "Oh, how rude of me."

I sighed. "So you don't want help, huh?"

"Nah, I'd rather suffer in silence. Thanks anyway, doctor blank."

I cleared my throat. "It's Sora."

"Kairi."

"Kairi…" I repeated it because I liked the sound of it. Huh, to be named after the ocean. What interesting odds.

"Yep." She popped the 'p'.

A pleasant silent overtook us now that we had names to put to the strangers sitting next to us. After a couple of seconds, Kairi started swinging, lifting her legs up and bending them with ease. I joined her after shamefully admiring her legs.

"Have you ever wished you could just…fly away from your problems? That you could escape to another world where time doesn't exist and you could just…relax."

I smiled, letting my body rise higher. "I know the feeling. But, honestly I don't think about it too much. Why can't we approach life the same way? What's wrong with having a dream, a goal?"

Kairi smirked. "Heh, you're sounding really wishy-washy right now. I bet you daydream in class…"

"I do not!" I respond a little too eagerly causing her to laugh. She really did have the most amazing voice. That was another world in itself.

We continued to swing in silence after that. I was quite content. Usually in the summer it was always me and Riku. I wasn't the best at making new friends, but Kairi was starting to convince me to try harder.

Unfortunately, I could tell that my companion wasn't enjoying the sensation of swinging as much as I was. She was starting to look sad again and I was definitely not having that.

"Kairi."

She turned her head towards me, quickly masking the hurt in her face with open curiousity. "Yes."

"Let's do it. Come fly away with me."

"What!"

I smiled at her dramatic reaction. "Swing as high as you can. Together, we will escape your problems for a little while. Leave the world behind and fly with me, okay?"

With that said I started using my own momentum to push my body further, as far as this old contraption would let me. The chains holding my seat started making those annoying creaking noises, but besides that I was secure.

After a moment's hesitation Kairi joined me. I remember being quite disappointed when she was able to catch up with me in a matter of seconds. A couple more passed and she had surpassed my height.

"Wow, I didn't know these things went that far." I couldn't help sounding sarcastic.

Kairi's face split into one of the most breathtaking smiles I had ever seen in my fifteen-year-old existence. "To bad you can't keep up."

My smile darkened. "You're going to wish you never said that."

We tested that contraption to its limits that day. It creaked and squirmed like a battered old puppy, and yet we somehow found ourselves going higher.

We were both getting giddy from being at such high altitudes. It was if we had traveled to the moon and back.

Kairi's smile became possessed by some crazy free spirit as she shouted at me. "Let's jump!"

My heart froze. "At this height?"

"On the count of three…"

I stared at her as I thought over how her antics would probably get us killed. Scratch that, I KNEW her antics were going to get us killed.

"You're crazy!"

"Three!"

"Kairi!"

"Two!"

"The end, Kairi! It would be the end of us!"

"ONE!"

"OH SH-"

We were both flying, our bodies defying gravity, flying through space and time. It was terrifying. It was very dangerous.

Yet, on my face was the biggest smile I had ever produced in my entire life. Our clothes were flapping like wings, spread out in tulmultous directions. We were like two giant eagles.

Eventually, there is a time where the universe has to remind you that you are, whether you like it or not, a human being. And human beings don't fly.

We landed on each other in a tangle of limbs and flesh with thousands of tiny sand grains falling over us like rain. I was on top of her and produced the most notable blush of my adolescent years. Kairi's face looked dazed, as if still stuck in the clouds with her wings in flight.

I brought her back to reality. "Kairi?"

Her eyes glazed over me while she produced a small smile. "Sora…"

I had the sudden urge to kiss her then. It was strange. I had only known this poor girl for a couple of hours yet I felt connected with her on a massive level that had ceased to be developed between me and anyone else. Perhaps I was still stuck in the dream to, maybe I was still floating in the clouds.

Nevertheless, my face inched towards her. Her lips were open slightly, as if anticipating the soft feel of my lips.

Time was frozen for about five seconds. We were literally stuck in that position. It was obvious that someone else was going to have to pull us back into reality.

"TIMBER!"

Kairi shouted while I shot up like a rocket as Riku smashed into our tangled bodies. He had used the slide and slid down like a boss, using his unstoppable momentum to awaken us from the dream. It was very annoying, but also effective.

"Hello, lovebirds. Welcome to Chrysanthemum Park!"

Kairi placed her hands over her heart. "You scared me!"

I glared at my best friend. "Not funny, Riku."

Riku continued to laugh at us as me and Kairi took turns berating him. After that we all enjoyed a refreshing game of basketball. It was really cool having three players. I've never looked at basketball the same way since then.

As the following weeks ensued, Kairi and I met every day, swinging into dreamland. Almost every day, I would get that same urge, that dizzying reaction to kiss her as we escaped into the fantasies produced from our troubled minds. I'd always chicken out at the last minute. I couldn't let myself hope for the impossible. Eventually, we all have to return to reality.

However, I could tell that I was running out of time. About two days before the start of school, Kairi told me some unsettling news.

"I'm leaving, Sora."

"What!" I was surprised that this was the first time I was hearing about it. I had been looking forward to seeing her in school.

Kairi never looked more dejected than she did that day. It pained me greatly to see her in such distress. "I'm sorry, Sora. I should have told you. I guess I just…ran out of time."

I sighed as I recalled my various attempts to make a move. "I know what you mean."

I didn't have to ask her when she was leaving. It was clear from her tone that today was the last day.

As we sat in silence, a thought popped into my head. It was surprising that I was just starting to remember it now, at that moment.

"Kairi, why have you been coming here, to this park?"

She stared at me. "What do you mean? I've been hanging out with you."

"I mean, why were you crying when I first met you here?"

Kairi turned her head away her voice barely audible. "I wasn't crying."

I stilled myself before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Kairi…please, tell me."

Her head was lowered down towards the sand, hands shaking against her knees. "Promise me that we won't speak of this after I tell you."

I nodded. "Just once is fine."

She told me everything. She started with her parent's divorce and kept working forward to the death of her stepbrother, Zack. As she spilled her heart out I stayed silent, nodding when it was appropriate and sometimes I squeezed her shoulders to let her know that I understood her pain. I felt it.

After that we stayed silent. We didn't swing. I don't know how long we stayed in the park that day, but I know it was getting dark when she finally broke the silence.

"Thank you, Sora."

I gave her a small smile. "You don't have to thank me. I loved spending time with you."

I couldn't say that I loved her. It was too soon for that.

Kairi smiled sadly and stood up from the swing. I could tell that she was about to leave, this time for good.

I sucked in a breath as she walked away from me. I started mumbling to myself. "No, not this time…"

I raised my voice. "Kairi, wait!"

She turned around slowly, her hair cupping half of her face, her eyes widened. "Sora?"

I ran towards her. It was like everything was moving in slow motion. It seconds turned into hours as I ran. I was nearly out of breath by the time I reached her, even though it literally took me five seconds.

"Kai..ri…"

She raised her eyebrows. "What is it?"

I pulled her towards me and kissed her open mouth. She tasted like cinnamon, the taste of autumn.

I backed away slowly, my voice suddenly as small as a mouse. "Goodbye, Kairi."

She nodded once, her face as red as a tomato. "Bye, Sora."

I stood there as she walked away, stopping once she reached the top of a small grass hill. She glanced at me from afar. It was hard to see but I could have sworn her eyes were sparkling.

"SORA!"

"What?"

She smiled at me. "I'll be back next summer!"

My breath hitched in my throat as she ran away, leaves trailing behind her.

I whispered back softly. "…I'll be waiting for you."

Every summer since then I've always looked forward to visiting Chrysanthemum Park. It wasn't just a place where reality turned into dreams. It was a place full of hope and light, one that could penetrate the toughest darkness.

And I owed it all to that poor swing set in the background. Therefore, I always take time to ride on them before leaving, letting my childhood linger in the seat waiting until the warm day when she makes her return…

**Ah, how I love to swing. I just had to write this down after my fateful visit to the park a couple hours ago.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**Last Edit: June 14 2012**


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